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Saturday, August 11, 2012

Poisoned

It's crazy how many little things can derail your training. I was just reading about how Desiree Davila tweaked her hip late in the game and had to train on an anti-gravity machine leading up to the Olympics. In the end she wasn't able to finish the biggest race of her life so far. Well, this week I had my own derailing event and I've been really frustrated as a result of it.

Cory and I went backpacking last Sunday and Monday. After hiking out of the backcountry we went to this great Brewery where I promptly caught food poisoning. I was extremely thankful that I did not start feeling the effects until after we had made it through the winding car-ride home and I was also thankful that Cory did not get sick at all, but when we did get home violence erupted. I didn't sleep very much that night but after I had thrown up everything in my system I finally started feeling better. Unfortunately since I hadn't eaten anything since that particularly delicious yet evil guacamole burger the previous afternoon, I almost passed out at work. They had the sense to send me home.

After I slept most of Tuesday away, we went to eat dinner with Cory's Uncle and Aunt (Roger and Brenda) in Boulder. I nervously ate but managed to keep everything down. Since they had both experienced Giardia before they helped me rule out that as a potential cause to my illness. Roger also told us that he was friends with ultra-runner Dave Mackey and that they used to be climbing buddies. And on Roger's morning ritual of hiking Green Mountain with Shasta, one of their Aussies, he regularly sees Anton Krupicka. Apparently Shasta really likes him. Him and Brenda see elite athletes out and about all of the time in Boulder. Maybe we should move a little north.

Anyway, it's taken a long time to feel back to full health. I've only been able to run once this week and I was pretty shaky and dizzy. I need to fit in 13 miles either tonight after work or tomorrow morning, but I've been pretty nervous about how my body is going to handle it. I have a trail marathon coming up in just under two months and I've started to overthink it. With the stress of moving and finding a new job, combined with adjusting to the altitude and a few brief (but violent) illnesses, I'm nervous about how my training is going to pan out. It's pretty easy to get distracted with the beauty that surrounds us.

Pictures from our backpacking trip:

Walking up the jeep roads

Thinking about how we should get a jeep

At Chihuahua Lake

Resting at the saddle between Grizzly Peak and Torreys... sometimes it's more fun when there isn't a trail

Nearing the top of Grizzly Peak

Drop off on either side at the false peak

Starting to break down camp so we can go get food poisoning at the local brewery